


beyond the sea

by TheSpazzBot



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Falling In Love, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Merpeople, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-09 21:20:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5555738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpazzBot/pseuds/TheSpazzBot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m a merman.” </p><p>The fishboy – <i>merman</i> – cocks its head. Levi supposes <i>his</i> head would be more applicable. Unless… “You’re a guy?”</p><p>“Well, I’m not a <i>maid</i> if that’s what you’re suggesting!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When Levi first meets Eren, he’s eight.

He has been staying at his Uncle Kenny’s house off on the coast, vacationing – at least that’s what his mother liked to call it. Levi was smart enough to understand that being ushered out of their apartment by men in black suits wasn’t normally called a vacation. Maybe he will ask Miss Ral when he gets back just to be sure.

Vacation or not, Levi was stuck there. And under strict orders not to leave the house, unless he wanted a ‘fuckin’ boot up the arse’.  _What your uncle really means, Levi, sweetie, is that it’s not safe outside, okay?_ Of course, he hadn’t intentionally meant to disobey his mother, but there is only so much an eight-year-old can find to do inside a one bedroom beach house.

Levi waits patiently for Uncle Kenny to pass out on the living room couch, bare toes tip-toeing across the floor as he moves to the back door. A few times, Levi thinks he’s been caught, only to realize it’s his uncle mumbling sleepless nothings involving things an eight-year-old probably shouldn’t know anything about.

Chubby fingers gripping the handle, Levi quietly shuffles outside into the sea salt breeze. It’s one of his favorite things about this place, the air. The scent is much different than what he’s used to back in the city. Smells nothing of the smoke and ash. Smells fresh, free. Funny, considering that’s one of the last things he is living here. Being watched by all of his uncle’s jaded looking henchmen through the windows of the beach house. He was beginning to feel a little like a caged dog, but now everything seems different with the wind in his hair.

Making his way down the steps, Levi is careful to watch for the henchmen patrolling the house. However, he has started to realize in his time here that the guards tend to also get tired of staying at this beat up house, during the night taking swigs of the amber liquid his mother always warns him to stay away from when he is older. Carefully, he steps over one of the men that happen to be passed out against the side of the wall, at least Levi thinkshe is passed out. The drool dripping from the side of his mouth seems to be a pretty good clue.

So, that’s how Levi finds himself digging his toes into the cool sand, listening to the crash of the waves against the shore. He faintly wonders if he really well end up with a ‘fuckin’ boot up the arse’ when his mother finds out that he snuck out of the house, but right now, Levi thinks that there are probably worse things that could happen. Being stuck in a room with Uncle Kenny being one of them.

He’s walking down the shore, letting the waves lap languidly at his feet, when Levi spots it. 

Writhing on the sand, Levi can’t really make out what the shadow looks like in the dark, the only light coming from the shine of the moon. However, the closer he gets, the more distinct the object becomes. The more human.

Well, at least part of it.

The other half, the half that’s tangled in a violent web of fishing line is most definitely fish.

 _Wait_.

Levi screams, because that seems to be the only sensible thing to do when spotting a monster. Except this doesn’t really look like anything he’s ever heard about hiding under his bed. But maybe this is just a water monster! Yes, that’s it, Levi thinks, this is what hides under the beds of all the sleeping fish. So, should he kill it? It is a monster, right?

Taking a step forward, Levi freezes when the monster hissesat him, pointed teeth flaring. He should run back to the beach house, even if it means a boot in his butt. That would be much better than ending up chum for this creature of the sea. However, Levi doesn’t run, doesn’t even do so much as look away. Watches as the monster starts to curl into itself, scales reflecting a bright greenish purple in the moonlight. And it’s then that he realizes maybe this monster really isn’t a monster after all.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says, reaching out a hand to the receding creature. It doesn’t reply, only looks suspiciously at Levi’s outstretched limb. But it isn’t flashing its mouthful of knives, so Levi takes that as a good sign to step closer. Once he’s finally within an arm’s reach, Levi gets down onto his hands and knees, trying to level with the man-fish-thing. Well, more like child-fish-thing if its features are anything to go by. Really, it doesn’t look to be any older than Levi, himself. That is if fish years are the same as human. Levi wouldn’t know if it’s one of those circumstances where fish people are seven years for every human one like dogs. That’s probably a question Miss Ral won’t know the answer to.

He’s close, close enough to feel the slight chill radiating off the skin of the fish child. And it’s when Levi is a hair’s breadth from touching it does he hear the clicking noises, the seemingly primal sounds emitting from the thing tangled up in the fishing line.

“You better not bite me.” Narrowing his eyes, Levi takes hold of one of the strings, weaving it underneath the glimmering tail of the creature. He’ll look up into a pair of large, green eyes – that seem a little too big for the thing’s head if he’s being completely honest – and wait to get some sort of confirmation that he can continue. Usually, it’s a bunch of garbled noises or clicks of the tongue that Levi really has no clue how to translate. He wonders if this is fish language and if maybe in return for saving it, the creature would teach him.

It seems like a fair trade in Levi’s mind.

Eventually, he’s unweaving the last string from the fish person’s body, pulling the remaining fishing hook out with a quick flick of the wrist. Levi earns a subtle hiss for that but puts the thing quickly in its place by telling it to not be such a big baby. Even so, he uses his palm to soothe the punctured surface where the hook was embedded into the tail. No one has to know that he is just using that as an excuse to actually touchthe tail of the creature. Especially not the creature, itself, who seems all the more oblivious as to why Levi’s hand is running up and down its appendage.

There are so many things he wants to ask, so many things he wants to know. But they are all pushed back down his throat as soon as he hears his name being echoed in the distance.

Eyes wide, Levi starts trying to push the thing back into the ocean without any preamble. He’s met with a loud hiss and a shove into the sand.

“Hey, buttface, I’m trying to save you!” The thing cocks its head once, twice, before glancing upwards towards the impeding lights. Understanding the danger, the creature starts to move on its own back into the dark waves now that its arms are free. And Levi is left to do nothing but sit there in the sand, watching in awe as the thing sinks into the depths. He almost feels a little bit like he is losing a friend, however, the fish person wouldn’t probably consider anyone who calls them a buttface a friend.

Just when the thing’s head is about to submerge itself into the inky seas, it turns, facing Levi with a pointed smile.

“Thunk!” It yells, then disappearing into the abyss of black waves.

Levi, for some reason, begins to feel more confused than when he first sawthe thing.

However, that is soon forgotten with his uncle making his way down to promptly yank Levi up by the ear as the man drags him back up to the beach house.

He spends another month and a half in that home alongside the shore. Never once allowed to venture off past the front door. At night, Levi will dream of the fish boy, will imagine it saving him from Uncle Kenny and all the henchmen. He dreams of the wild adventures they would have out in the open sea. Of all the friends he would be able to make deep in the coral reefs. Soon, those dreams start to find themselves transferred onto napkins and scraps of paper. He hides them beneath a loose plank of wood in the bedroom where Levi hopes no one will find them. They already think he’s a strange child, even his mother. It’d only make things worse to know that the kid also believed in sea people.

Even so, he wonders if he’ll ever get to see the creature again. Levi thinks that he’d be fine with just a glimpse along the horizon. Just to know that what he saw that night was real. And maybe that it was coming to save him.

* * *

 

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s fourteen.

It’s raining, and he’s back at that shitty old beach house. Levi hates it, he really does. Or more like, he just hates the circumstances as to why he’s being forced to stay here again. Except this time, no one is trying to pull any of that vacation bullshit over on Levi. He’s old enough to understand how the world works, now. At least, how _his_ world works. It’s never been quite as simple, after all.

Kenny greets him with a forced grin and a pat on the back. Levi feels like the man probably knows how much he secretly despises him, but they are family, and family is supposed to take care of each other. Well, that’s what one of his uncle’s lackeys had said as he forced Levi into the back seat of the car.

Levi says nothing, face muted to a blank stare. Nudges by his uncle and makes his way to the bedroom. There is only one suitcase in his hands, most of the stuff left behind being trivial things that Levi never really cared about anyway.

He still feels a little numb. The same men who shoved him into the car are the ones who told him it would eventually fade. However, Levi would really like to know how long ‘eventually’ is going to take.

There’s a picture of his mother that he was able to snag before he left the apartment behind, one where she is smiling wide and bright. She’s holding him in her arms as he sucks on his thumb, a habit that his mother was sure would make his teeth crooked. Fingers brush over the dusty glass, wiping the grime away from the frame. She looked so happy there, so beautiful. And Levi faintly wonders if this was taken before his father was left to rot away in the back of some red light alley with a bullet lodged inside his skull.

His grip tightens around the frame, and he suddenly wants to be anywhere other than this bedroom. Dropping the picture on the pile of clothes littering his suitcase, Levi makes his way out of the house, passing a curious Kenny on the way.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going?”

“Out,” he mumbles, letting the back door slam behind him. It’s chilly, even though he’s currently at the beach, the December winds still having some effect on the coast. Pulling his jacket tighter around himself, Levi steps through the sand, the salty breeze mussing his hair. He doesn’t know exactly how long he walks for, but he gets far enough as to where the beach house is nothing but a small dot in the distance. He figures that his uncle won’t come looking for him given the circumstances. Levi hadn’t been exactly ordered to stay inside, as if he would listen anyway. Especially at a time like this.

Sighing, Levi marches a little further up the coast until he spots a small rock formation nestled on the edge of the beach. Shoes off and pant legs rolled up, Levi starts to climb the small face, following the path of rocks as it dips into the sea.

It’s quiet here, tourism warded away by the constant crime in the area. And even so, everything feels so fucking loud to him. Like a million voices that won’t just shut up. Sitting at the edge of the formation, waves lapping at his toes, Levi curls up inside himself. He feels so small, so weak, everything around him crumbling. The salt stings his eyes as a tear rolls down his cheek, quickly swept up by the fabric of his sleeve.

Levi thinks life isn’t fair.

It shouldn’t be this hard for a fourteen-year-old.

“Hey.” The voice breaks Levi out of his stupor, shoulders automatically tensing as he looks around him. Thinking that maybe one of his uncle’s guards followed him down, Levi’s eyes narrow. Maybe if he just ignores the person then they will go away. “Psst, hey.”

Gritting his teeth, Levi’s head whips around, fists clenched as he sternly replies, “Wha–” It’s barely floating above the surface, bright eyes following Levi as he takes a deep breath. He wants to say something – preferably _scream_ something – but all the air is frozen in his chest, as if this sea creature’s gaze has wrapped around his lungs and _squeezed_.

This all seems familiar somehow, and Levi sort of wants to pinch himself, because none of this feels real.

“Hi,” it says while lifting itself out of the water, slowly revealing the clawed fingers, scaled arms. He must be dreaming. Or maybe he’s dead. Dead or dreaming, that’s the only answer. “I didn’t think that I would actually see you again.” And then it smiles, pointed teeth glistening in the sunlight. Levi still feels like this is some kind of otherworldly reality and can’t really bring himself to do anything but gawk. But that familiarity is still there in the back of his mind. Telling him maybe he’s not crazy, or dead for that matter. “You’re still short.”

Levi narrows his eyes. “Fuck you, fishboy.” He would say that he’s average height, but that is sort of a lie. The creature bristles at the insult, pointed ears falling back flat against its skull. Levi can’t find it inside himself to be apologetic.

“I’m not a fishboy, barnacle breath!” Levi doesn’t really know what else to call it, seeing as it _is_ part fish, after all. Well, looks to be part fish with the gills moving on the side of its neck. This could just be Levi’s weird way of dealing with tragedy. Imagining sea creatures sprouting from the ocean to chat with him. “I’m a merman.”

The fishboy – _merman_ – cocks its head. Levi supposes _his_ head would be more applicable. Unless… “You’re a guy?”

“Well, I’m not a _maid_ if that’s what you’re suggesting!” It – he bristles again, and Levi smirks at his annoyance. He supposes that this should be the point where he runs away, screaming about the monster he’s found off the shore. But for some reason, Levi stays. Be for the familiarity or the mesmerizing company, he remains seated atop the wet rocks. “You’re a strange human,” the merman finally says, clawed fingers drawing intricate designs against the surface of the stone.

“Says the fishboy.”

“I told you, I’m a merman!”

“If you’re a merman, where’s your tail?” Levi asks, face resting in his hands as he watches the sea creature’s brow pinch together. After a terse moment, Levi eventually sighs, “You’re probably just a weirdo.”

“I’m a merman!” Levi can hear the grit of the merman’s teeth as he pulls himself up onto the rocks to sit beside Levi. And sure enough, there’s a tail. Scales glittering vibrant greens and blues in the sunlight, the creature huffs triumphantly as he crosses his arms against a lithe chest. “See?” There’s an increasing urge flowing through his veins to reach out and touch the tail. To run his fingers along the shimmering scales. But that seems like a very inappropriate – and possibly dangerous – thing to do. Especially to something that has a mouthful of pointed teeth.

“What happened there?” Levi’s eyes direct to a spot on merman’s tail that obviously scarred, the scales there a muted gray, broken and crooked. He sees the creature flinch, and faintly wonders if he should have just kept his mouth shut. There is still a chance he could be dragged down to the seabed for lunch.

However, the merman just sighs faintly, clawed fingers covering the imperfection.

“Why are you here, human?” Levi’s not exactly prepared for the change in topic. Probably not unlike the merman’s preparedness to talk about the gimp in his tail. Levi supposes the spotlight resting on him is only fair.

“My mom died,” he says, watching the sea foam curl up around his toes. It’s cool, sending goosebumps down his arms. However, Levi really shouldn’t be surprised. It’s December, after all. Even the beaches aren’t free from the northern chill.

He wonders if the creature is going to say anything. Levi faintly wonders if it hasn’t already slipped back among the waves. In the stillness, he feels something occasionally poke at his skin. Looking closer, he sees there are a few hermit crabs frantically scattering near his feet, distracting him from the heavy silence hanging in the air.

Levi never thought he would be able to make a merman speechless.

“I’m sorry,” he hears the creature say. It’s a simple apology, but it somehow makes his chest feel a little lighter. Levi thinks it’s weird that the first person to apologize for his mother’s death would be a creature out of a fairytale.

Stranger things have probably happened.

“I would like to properly thank you, as well, human.” Levi turns, cocking a brow. But what greets him isn’t the face of a merman, but a shell. An ordinary, everyday shell that Levi would probably find being sold for twenty bucks if this place had any tourist shops. The creature’s head is bent low between his extended arms, hands slightly quivering as they hold either side of the calm shell. “Please take this as a sign of my gratitude, hu–.”

“Levi,” he interrupts, fingers grasping the top of the shell.

“Levi,” the merman whispers as his eyes lift back to Levi’s face, “please accept this as a sign of my gratitude.” It’s then that Levi remembers, understands why this creature is so familiar to him. Looks into those eyes that are still too big for the merman’s face.

“Okay, fishboy.”

“Eren.”

Levi smirks.

“Okay, Eren.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://fuzzyporcupine.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s still fourteen.

Nothing much has happened. In fact, only a couple of days have passed since he last saw the merman. Kenny, of course, had tried to chastise him when he finally returned to the beach house, the sun kissing the horizon. Too bad Levi wasn’t scared of boots up the ass anymore.

There’s nothing to do in the old town, Levi finds out. So, he is soon back to that rock formation. No one has to know why he is waiting there, hoping a certain merman will pop his head out of the water. It feels a little pathetic.

Still, he waits, one foot dipping carelessly in the water. He’d made sure to wear his swimming trunks today given how drenched he was returning home the last time he visited the rock side. Levi’s silently thankful that all the potential tourism has been driven away. This really is a beautiful place. Well, once you look past the slightly murky ocean water.

Sighing, Levi goes back to watching the tide roll into the shore. That is until he feels something poking at his toes. Taking it for a curious fish, Levi calmly kicks his foot underwater to shoo away the little annoyance. However, it returns, this time becoming a little more aggressive with its tactics, now pinching his big toe.

Rearing his foot backwards, Levi kicks as hard as he can. Needless to say, Levi isn’t expecting to come into contact with a hard surface.

“Shit! Goddammit!” He yells as he lifts his throbbing foot from the water. Levi can faintly see red tendrils starting to float through the sea, and he wonders if there was more external damage done than he originally thought. That is until he sees Eren’s head crest between the foam, a rivet of red running from his nose. His eyes widen, hands moving frantically as he tugs off his shirt and leans over to press it to Eren’s injured nose.

“Son of a beach, that hurts!” Eren yelps when Levi adds pressure.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, “I didn’t know that was you.”

“No shrimp,” Eren says as he nudges Levi’s hand away. “I guess I sort of deserve it. Curiosity killed the catfish, you know?”

Levi scoffs and Eren lifts himself up to sit alongside the rocks. And once again, his gaze is drawn to the shine of that magnificent tail. It seems to be a darker hue this time, more of a forest green instead of its normal vibrancy. Levi can’t say he dislikes it.

“Cool,” Levi hears Eren mutter, causing his vision to shift upwards. He almost wishes he hadn’t looked given the shade of crimson his cheeks are no doubt turning. “I’ve never seen a human this close before.” Then Eren is ducking his head closer to Levi’s chest, emerald eyes scouring every dip and rise.

“Stop doing that,” Levi manages, suddenly wishing that the rock was a little bigger. But Eren is obviously not listening, now reaching up a finger to poke at the soft skin at Levi’s navel. His chest suddenly feels very tight, palms sweaty. And if the waves weren’t pounding against the shore so loudly, Levi is positive that he would be able to hear his heart throbbing against Eren’s palm. The one that’s now flat against Levi’s chest.

“Wow!” Eren is smiling, still transfixed by the hand resting atop Levi’s heartbeat. But then the merman is moving, fast and swift, pulling Levi’s hand to his chest. “Look! It’s the same, Levi!” He sounds so happy, and even in his embarrassment, Levi’s mouth can’t help the small smile it curls into. But sure enough, Levi feels the pounding of Eren’s heartbeat against his fingertips. Likely going much more slowly than his own. But Eren probably doesn’t understand the reason behind the pace, which Levi is thankful for.

He’s never even kissed anyone, never even _thought_ about it. And now he is sitting here half naked with a merman touching his chest. Maybe this is a fairytale, Levi thinks.

“You’re face, Levi! What’s wrong with it?” Eren’s hand suddenly withdrawals to press against his cheek. _Oh god._ “It’s so warm. Have I done something?” It would be embarrassing – no, wait, it _is_ embarrassing. There’s no getting around that. Levi feels a lot like this is the equivalent to a man telling his child how babies are born. Except a lot more socially damning.

“It’s…” he tries to start, startled by the impeding look on Eren’s face. Levi thinks it’s almost cute. The merman’s gills – at least that’s what Levi thinks they look like – are fluttering faster, open and close, open and close. This must be how to tell if a merman is anxious. Levi isn’t entirely sure, though, that this information will necessarily come in handy later in his life. “Do you know what emotions are?” It’s seems as good a place to start as any; and when Eren rapidly nods his head, Levi figures it’s okay to continue. “Sometimes, we emotion, but you can see it.” Oh god, Levi thinks there’s not a worse way he could have explained it. Eren’s head cocks to show his confusion, and Levi is _positive_ there’s not a worse way he could have explained it.

“You emotion?” Eren asks, slowly dropping the touch on Levi’s cheek. “Does it hurt?”

Levi’s about to say no, but then he remembers the shooting agony that ripped through his body at the sight of his mother’s corpse lying motionless against the kitchen floor.

“Sometimes,” he mutters, looking away from Eren.

“I think I understand.” The merman pulls away from him, pointed grin resting back on his face. “We emotion with our tails!” At that, Eren slaps said tail against the rock surface, sending droplets of sea water up into the air. “It always has hints of green, but when I’m sad, there is blue. When I’m happy, yellow. When I’m angry, it’s orange. Scared, purple. Horny–”

“Ah, okay!” Levi interrupts. Already flustered enough, he doesn’t think that he’ll be able to handle knowing when Eren is horny. He already has puberty to deal with. “I get it.” Well, he really doesn’t _completely_ get it, but there is no way in hell that Levi will ask Eren to elaborate. Either way, the sun is beginning to set, and this isn’t the kind of place he wants to be at alone in the dark.

Telling the merman goodbye, he watches in awe as Eren dives back into the ocean. Faintly, he wonders what it’s like to have that kind of freedom. The world is seventy percent water, isn’t it?

Once he gets back to the house, the first thing Levi does is pull out his notebook and a pencil. Ignoring Kenny’s request to tell him where the hell he was, Levi heads straight for the attic. He’s found solace there before, in those days where he wasn’t allowed to even leave the house. Levi can still see the faint drawings of sea creatures he left on the old wooden walls.

Brushing some cobwebs out of the way, Levi pull a cord to turn on the hanging lightbulb. Sitting against the wall, pencil in hand, Levi tries his best to recreate a better version of Eren. He knows the ones he made six years ago are still here hiding underneath the loose wood board. In fact, it’s where he put the clam shell. It’s almost as if the memories of another life live in that space. And Levi’s determined to add to them. Bringing the graphite to the thin paper as he tries to capture Eren’s image.

It’s silly, but in the back of Levi’s mind, he feels as if he will never see Eren again. Feels like the only memory that won’t fade will be these drawings. He falls asleep like that, clutching the pencil and paper.

In the morning, he’s quick to hide them, carefully slotting them in with the others in his secret compartment. Levi is hoping that maybe his fears of never seeing the merman are going to go unanswered, but then Kenny is stopping him as he reaches the doorway, Levi’s suitcase in his hand.

“You’re leaving, kid.” Is the man’s gruff answer, head nodding to a black sedan parked up alongside the road. He tries to ask why, but his uncle is a stern man, doesn’t take well to being questioned. Levi’s told that he’s headed to a private school upstate by one of the lackeys once he is in the car. They also make sure to give him some ice for his head, trying to aid the whelp starting to swell on the side. There are tears in his eyes as they pull away, not from the hit, but no one needs to know any the wiser. At least, that is what Levi thinks.

* * *

 

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s eighteen.

He doesn’t feel any different, having graduated that is. To be honest, Levi thinks it’s sort of shitty that people work so many years and all they get is this damn piece of paper. Which obviously meant a lot according to his friends who refused to let him run away to join the circus. Well, Levi wouldn’t call them ‘friends’… out loud anyway.

The beach house hasn’t changed much. Kenny might have touched up the paint on the door, but Levi thinks that it still looks like shit. Sighing, he heaves his suitcase up the stairs. There’s only one reason why he’s coming back here. That being graduated students aren’t allowed to stay the summer in the dorms. Two reasons if Levi thinks really hard. But he doesn’t want to put any money on the hopes of Eren even being in this hemisphere anymore.

Regardless, he only has to last the summer, already accepted into his number one choice of colleges. It’s located off the east coast and notorious for its marine biology program. Levi never says what inspired him to go into that major.

“Levi, my boy!” Kenny yells as he pulls open the door. The man looks older, hair now completely grey. Levi thinks he may see a new scar on his uncle’s cheek. Men like Kenny don’t necessarily live long, healthy lives in businesses like the one he’s in.

There’s a strong set of arms wrapping around him, and Levi is almost shocked by the sentiment. He stiffens under the embrace, but when it becomes apparent that Kenny isn’t going to let go without a response, Levi relaxes.

“Hey,” he mumbles into Kenny’s shoulder. The man still smells like ash and smoke. Some things never change, Levi figures.

“So, you’re taller.”

“Oi, fuck off.”

Kenny laughs as he releases Levi, patting an all too familiar hand on his shoulder. “Still got that spunk, eh?” Levi scoffs as Kenny grips him, a subtle smile appearing on his own face. While he really didn’t want to come back, the familiarity is welcome. He fits in here, a misfit in his own right. “Look, I got that attic fixed up for ya. Consider it a graduation gift.”

“Thanks,” Levi says, walking towards the ladder to the attic to drop off his things. Upstairs is nothing fancy. The only real difference is the bed and dresser that has been added, but Levi appreciates the concern. It’s better than sleeping on the musky, old couch, that’s for sure.

Throwing his suitcase on top of the bed, Levi quickly pops it open and pulls out his swim trunks. He tells himself that there will be no harm in checking. He has to be sure that Eren is gone.

Tromping down the ladder, Levi bolts out the door, shouting to his uncle that he would be back later.

It’s the first time Kenny doesn’t ask where he’s going.

The rock formation still looks the same, black and foreboding. Levi distantly wonders how he ever had the courage to climb it. He’d been young and stupid, though, he considers. For instance, he befriended a merman. Looking back, Levi thinks it’s pretty lucky that Eren didn’t just make him dinner. And still, here he is, trying to go back in hopes that the merman will still be there. Maybe Levi hasn’t changed that much, either.

Once he finally reaches the rocks and is able to find a comfortable spot – which is _really_ pushing it, because there’s nowhere comfortable when all there is to sit on are rocks – he waits. And waits. And keeps waiting. Waits until the sun has long since set beneath the horizon, and Levi is left sitting in the dark, listening to the waves break along the shore.

Tomorrow, Levi tells himself. Tomorrow he’ll see Eren.

He doesn’t see Eren tomorrow. Or the next day. Or even that whole week. But still he waits every day. Sits in the same spot atop those rocks.

It’s been four years. Levi knows that the chances aren’t high that Eren would still be here. And the first thing that comes to his mind is that it’s his fault. That he should have come back sooner. All those summers that he was selfish and just decided to wait it out. He could have come back. He could have come back and seen Eren.

Grabbing the nearest pebble, Levi launches it into the ocean with a broken scream. He’s stupid, so fucking stupid. And now he’s crying. Crying because he’s never going to get to see Eren again. Another pebble leaves his hands, and another. Until it seems like he’s thrown all of them off into that goddamn water. Until there is nothing left for Levi to do but cry.

“Are you having an emotion?”

All of the breath in Levi’s lungs goes dry, heart stopping in his chest as he turns to see Eren shyly peeking out above the water. And it’s like everything just comes to a head as soon as he sees those too-big eyes, tears running down his cheeks, choking on sobs. Levi doesn’t know what he’s thinking when he throws his weight onto the merman, arms wrapping around Eren’s neck as he sinks into the water. Pale legs helplessly churn in the cold sea, seeking the comfort in being tugged near Eren’s hips – or he guesses what would be hips if Eren was a human.  

“Levi?” Eren asks, arms tightening around Levi’s waist.

“You a-asshole,” Levi murmurs, face pressing deeper into everything Eren. And suddenly the water doesn’t feel as cold lapping against his body. “You fucking asshole.”

“Is that your human equal to seaweed? Because I hate that stuff.” Then Levi laughs, uncaring if Eren’s being serious or not. Just laughs through the tears still spilling out of the corners of his eyes. “You are a strange human.”

Lifting his head off Eren’s shoulder, Levi looks him dead in the eye, “Watch it, fishboy.” And Eren laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://fuzzyporcupine.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s still eighteen.

Actually, it’s the very next day. They’d promised to reminisce about life. Levi’s always wondered what Eren actually does besides swim up to meet him at the shore. And even if Levi hasn’t changed much… well, Eren… Eren, Levi decides has changed a lot. Not in personality, Levi thinks the merman is still the same quick-fire little shit he left along the rock side four years ago. But in appearance… Levi swallows.

It’s not his fault for finding Eren attractive. Honestly, any human with eyes would probably find the merman good looking. It’s just to Levi’s benefit that he was pressed against a toned chest in the water, got to see firsthand how deep Eren’s too-big eyes can go. Levi thinks he’s probably gone crazy. Just what would his friends from school think if they told him he was attracted to a fish? Well, actually, Hanji would probably be ecstatic, would want to analyze his brain. The woman was going into neuropsychology, after all.

Regardless of his attraction, though, Levi had still met Eren at their usual spot.

“So, you’re going to study me?” Eren asks with a certain glint in his eyes.

“Not exactly,” Levi says, kicking up water with his feet. He had made sure Eren was out of the way this time. “More like fish and stuff.”

“Well, that’s boring.” Levi hums in agreement, but if he’s being honest, he would love the opportunity to study more of Eren’s kind. However, he’s not willing to let such a beautiful creature become caged and eventually showcased to the public. And that’s no doubt what would happen. People flocked to Shamu, Levi can only guess how many would come to see Eren. “So, I’ve been thinking.” Eren breaks the silence, face turned in an expression that Levi can tell doesn’t bode well for his well-being. “You should swim with me.”

“No,” Levi immediately answers.

Eren’s face morphs into one similar that a child would make when being told no. “Why not?” The merman whines out the words, causing Levi to grimace. “It feels so free when you’re swimming out here! I’m sure you’d love it, Levi.”

He sighs, looking past Eren’s head into the curling waves. They are calm today, the wind barely breezing over the water. It’d be a perfect day to try. But there is just one major problem. “I can’t swim.”

Eren looks at Levi like he’s just told him the ocean was purple. “What?”

“I said, I can’t swim.” It’s sort of embarrassing to admit out loud, but Levi guesses that Eren can’t really judge him too harshly considering he is the only human that the merman has ever met.

“Oh, okay.” Eren sounds a bit downtrodden, his scales flashing a tinge of blue, but is quickly moving on to another subject. One that involves why Levi’s toes don’t have webbing in between them.

They continue this way through most of the summer, asking each other random questions. Levi favorite so far had been explaining to Eren how humans shit. The merman’s face had been priceless, however, Levi’s had probably been even more when Eren detailed how his species relieves themselves. Levi never wants to hear the term ‘fecal package’ again.

Summer seems to go by way too quickly, and when it’s the day he leaves for college, that unsteady feeling has settled back inside his chest. Except this time, they’ve promised each other that they would wait. Eren tells him that it works out better this way since his pod is migrating to warmer waters for the first time in a century. They have four more years, and Levi figures that they’ve made it through once before.

A second time shouldn’t be too hard.

 

* * *

 

 

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s twenty-three.

It’s been a while since he’s been here. Except this time, his uncle isn’t there to greet him at the door. Kenny died two years back. Lung cancer, they said. Levi guesses that it serves the old man right for smoking a pack a day.

They had called him after his uncle was already dead, told him that the will left everything to Levi. Of course, those asshole lackeys that followed Kenny around were pretty pissed. But they knew well enough not to take blood money to court.

They’ve told him that the beach house will have to be demolished, as well. Something about the foundation is rotted, can’t be salvaged. Levi never planned to stay here, anyway. At least the city was kind enough to wait for him to finish up with his degree. It was a good motivation to finish early.

The wood creaks beneath his feet as he takes his first steps back into the house. There is dust on everything, and Levi’s nose immediately scrunches. A smell also lingers in the air here. It’s something that faintly reminds him of the dead bastard, but also of month-old trash. Levi figures Kenny never really did smell like roses.

He would have let the city take this place down years ago, but there was something he needed to come back for. Crouching down in the bedroom, Levi pulls away the loose panel.

All his stuff is still there, the drawings, the shell. His personal treasure box. Levi’s never told Eren about all the drawings hidden here, about the shell he’s kept after all this time. Levi assumes that Eren would be traumatized if Levi ever lost it. The gift was in appreciation for saving the merman’s life, and Levi figures that’s a pretty big deal.

He has brought a small folder to slide all the drawings into, a plastic bag for the shell. Levi kind of feels like a parent saving the artwork of their child. There is one picture that catches his eye, though, as he is storing away the drawings. It’s one Levi made while trapped inside the house, back when he had first met Eren. The craftsmanship of the piece obviously needed a little work, but Levi can clearly make out the image. Two figures stand on the paper, one being Eren with his green tail, the other being Levi… with a fifteen pack of abs and huge arm muscles. His mother had always told him to dream big, what can he say? Regardless, the image is something that makes his heart clench, seeing their hands linked together. Hell, he had even drawn a heart above their heads. Dreaming big, alright.

Levi really hopes that Eren has kept their promise. That he’ll be able to see the merman when he walks over to that rocky coast.

Because, god, he’s been in love with Eren for a long ass time.

The thought shoots straight down into his veins, pulsing harder with every beat his heart takes. And then Levi is running out to the sea, tie whipping in the wind as he bolts for that set of rocks. He feels desperate all over again, feels like maybe he should have just stayed. But, no, that’s stupid. Eren promised he would wait, and he–

“Levi!”

A figure appears by the rocks, and Levi just runs faster. The closer he gets, the harder the feeling surges through his body. Thinks that maybe instead of meeting Eren with a smiling face, he could just greet the merman with a kiss instead.

“Hey, long time no seagull,” Eren says as soon as Levi steps up onto the rocks. Those pointed teeth are pulled together in the brightest smile Levi has ever seen the merman wear, and it just makes Levi want to jump in that salty sea and wrap his arms back around Eren like he had before. “Mating season’s coming up, and I almost thought I’d miss you.” His brain stopped comprehending what Eren was saying after he heard the words ‘mating season’. _Because, remember, Levi? Eren’s not exactly human, and there’s no way he’d want someone like you when he can easily romance someone of his own kind._

Levi sort of feels like he’s been punched directly in the gut.

But then Eren is grabbing his hand, tugging him closer to the edge of the water. “I know you can’t swim, but I figured maybe you could just hold onto me?” Levi feels like he should start putting up the wall so that Eren can’t cross certain lines like this one. Feels like he wouldn’t be able to hold back from potentially ruining this friendship if put it _that_ situation. So, Levi just pulls his hand away, ignoring the growing frown on Eren’s face. And a jealous part, an irrationally angry part, wants to send Eren away. Wants to say how dare he make Levi feel like this?

But he doesn’t say any of that. Merely listens to Eren’s adventures the merman’s had over the time they’ve not seen each other. Most of them are pretty wild, but believable. Eren is a tad bit instinctive, Levi has found out. But he does call bullshit when Eren claims to have fought off three sharks using only his bare hands.

He only partially believes Eren when he changes it to only one shark ( _okay it was a dwarf shark, but that son of a beach had it coming!)_.

 

* * *

 

 

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s still twenty-three.

It’s been a whole month, and the house is still standing. Of course, Levi has no obligation to actually watch over the house, but it’s kind of hard to think of leaving Eren anymore. They’ve seen each other every day, and by the fifth time he sees Eren waving at him from the water, Levi stops trying to deny that he is in love.

In the back of his mind, he wonders when mating season is going to arrive. Of course, Google provided no answers considering no one really believes mermen actually fucking exist. Levi thinks it might be something like the process salmon go through, but quickly erases that thought because don’t salmon _die_ during mating season?

Oh god, maybe Levi actually should just ask Eren.

So, that’s exactly what he does, bluntly and to the point. It causes Eren’s tail to flare a hint of pink, clawed fingers nervously twiddling amongst themselves.

“It’s pretty straightforward, Levi.” But he’s not satisfied with that answer, not when the multitude of forums he visited told him he was a pervert. _Goddamn kinkshamers._ “I… uh…” He staring at Eren now, trying to make him uncomfortable enough to just tell him. To let him know if his fate is synonymous with millions of pink fish dying at the bottom of a riverbed. “W-well,” Eren clears his throat, “once we come of age, we are drawn to mate. It’s not… well… we’re drawn to find _our_ mate _._ There’s a calling, and those old enough, even those who have already found their mate within the pod or otherwise will be drawn to it.”

Levi raises a brow.

Why try and even find a mate if this calling would simply take them away from you, he thinks. But Eren is answering his question before it’s even asked. “The calling is a way to test the mated ones. To see if their chosen one is really the mate our ancestors left for them. And for unmated merfolk, this is a way to _find_ their mate. The aged merfolk gather at the ancient mating grounds and well…”

“So, it’s basically a big orgy?”

Eren looks appalled. “No! This is an ancient tradition among the merfolk!” The merman trails off, a hand coming to rub at the back of his neck, “Anyway, I’ve come of age.”

“And you don’t already have a mate?” Levi can’t control the question from spilling off his lips. He can hear the quiet gasp that sounds off into the air, can feel the tenseness seeping into his bones.

“Yes… at least I think he is my mate. I’ll have to wait until after the calling to know for sure.”

Levi tries to say something, like maybe congratulations, but his throat seems to seal up shut. This really shouldn’t be a shock to him, and it’s irrational for Levi to be acting this way. He thought that he had accepted Eren didn’t love him. At least not how he would like the merman to.

But then there is a clawed hand resting over top of his own pale comparison. And he looks up to find Eren smiling down at him, like none of this is even affecting the merman. He takes a deep breath, “I want to swim with you.”

The hand above his jerks, but doesn’t leave his touch. And to Levi’s surprise, Eren’s smile doesn’t falter, but gets wider. Almost as wide as he had seen it before at its largest.

“Yes!” Eren yells, causing Levi to jump a little backwards. “Oh, sorry. Yes.” The merman repeats himself with a much quieter tone. Levi almost rolls his eyes.

“So, am I just going to hold on and hope you don’t drown me?” Green eyes narrow at that, as if the thought that Eren would be willing to do such a thing sounds blasphemous. But the fact of the matter is that Levi really will be putting his life in Eren’s hands… well, claws.

“I’m not a siren, Levi. I don’t live off human flesh… yet.” Eren murmurs as he grabs ahold of Levi’s hand. And Levi _does_ roll his eyes this time.

“Slow down, Flipper. I’m not ruining my only nice outfit.” Hands moving quickly, Levi soon is left in only a thin pair of boxers, all other clothes folded into a nice pile with his dress shoes resting on top. He looks down at the flimsy fabric concealing his modesty, then thinks ‘fuck it’ and pulls off his boxers as well. Standing in nothing but his birthday suit, Levi turns to Eren, whose tail is now an even brighter pink than before. “What?” Levi knows he shouldn’t have asked, but the situation was just too tempting.

“I’ve always wondered if you had a… well…”

“Cock?”

“Is that what you call it?” Eren no longer looks embarrassed, but slightly confused.

“The medical term is penis. But yes, cock.”

“We use mating apparatus. I think I like the short version better.” Levi tries not to cringe at the given name and opts instead for taking Eren’s outstretched hand. “Nervous?” The merman asks as Levi hangs over the edge.

There’s a feeling of caution that is telling him to indeed, be nervous. He can’t swim for fuck’s sake. But then the other part, the one that’s overwhelming every sense in his body, is saying to jump into Eren’s arms before it’s too late. That even if his clock’s already struck midnight that maybe his fairy godmother has something else up her sleeve.

So, he jumps.

A brief moment of panic washes over him as the water surrounds his being, salt burning his eyes. Then there are strong arms wrapping around his waist, pulling him skin to skin – and well, scale – with his savior. They surface quickly, Eren being told at a prior time that Levi couldn’t breathe underwater.

His first breath of air stings, like a splinter being tugged out from his lungs. But the next, feels like freedom. And as he gazes down into Eren’s eyes, Levi realizes that it looks like it, too.

They don’t say anything, letting the ocean waves talk for themselves. It’s a kind of paradise they’ve found here, getting lost along the sea. And Levi’s not sure if he ever wants to return to land. Would be perfectly content to laze here forever, rocking along the steady current. As long as Eren is there to hold him.

But then they are moving, Levi taking a deep breath as Eren dives beneath the surface. He really wishes that he could see as the merman is. But Levi can feel, _god, can he feel._ The sculpted contours of Eren’s chest along is own, the rough patches of scales skidding against his bare thighs. He’s living as the water races over their bodies. Levi decides that what this is. Letting his head fall back, he’s _living._ And Levi thinks that even if Eren chooses another, that this is where his heart will always remain. With this merman, lost in the sea.

When they surface again, Eren is beaming. Levi only catches a hint of it through his blurred vision, the water slow to ease away from his sight. But when he sees it, it’s almost as if the world stops and nothing else matters. That’s probably stupid and way too overly dramatic for someone like Levi, but he believes it. Thinks that this is where his beginning and end could meet, in the shine of that smile.

“See, it’s not so bad.” Eren’s arm around his waist tightens, and Levi feels a little bit like he’s falling. “What do you think?”

His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Probably because he knows the only thing his mind is willing to tell Eren is some tip-toed bullshit that skirts around how he really feels. And Levi isn’t a coward. Right?

“What I think,” he takes a deep breath, pulling himself closer to the merman, “I think I’m an idiot. I think that I’ve had the best goddamn time of my life every time I’m with you. I think you’re an idiot, too, because no one smart sticks around some asshole like me. But I think most of all that I’m in love with you, Eren; and I have no fucking clue what to do about it.” Levi hopes he isn’t crying, because it was already hard enough to get that off his chest. He figures tears will only make him sound more desperate than he already feels.

Waiting for Eren to say something is hard, watching that face that is usually so easy to read fill with a hidden emotion. Levi kind of wants to kick him in the fin or something to get the merman to snap out of it. But then finally, Eren is doing something other than looking extremely perplexed. One hand drops from around Levi’s waist, and for a moment, Levi actually thinks that maybe Eren took the confession badly and _is_ going to make Levi dinner. But instead of dropping Levi off into the abyss, that hand works its way to Eren’s tail. Levi only knows this because he can feel the heat of Eren’s skin as it rubs against the outside of his leg.

_And god, this is not the time to be getting a boner, Levi._

A subtle pop distracts Levi from his growing problem, directing his eyes towards Eren’s hand rising from the water. Captured between the claws, a shining green scale. Immediately, Eren extends it towards Levi.

“Mate.” The word is followed by several clicking noises that Levi can only deduce is from the merfolk’s ancient tongue. “Mate.” Eren says again, and Levi realizes that maybe this is just Eren’s way of saying that he loves Levi back. And Levi doesn’t think there is a better feeling in the world.

The scale is shaken in front of his face, Eren’s eyes gesturing for Levi to grab it. Tentatively, with one arm still looped around Eren’s neck, his free hand encloses around the glittering piece. Then Eren is on him, clawed fingers wrenching his head backwards, and for a moment, Levi thinks he might actually die. The salt water washing over his face, the grip tightening in his hair. Eren even _looks_ like he wants to devour him. Thinks maybe he’s going to end up as the salmon, and to be honest, that effectively kills any type of boner Levi had going for him.

But then there are lips roughly pressing against his own, that hand behind his head barely keeping him above the surface. And there are noises being murmured against his own mouth, nothing Levi can understand. It’s almost as if the sea itself is being poured into his very soul with the way Eren’s lips move against his. Like Levi’s being born again into the open water.

The chill of Eren’s mouth runs down and twists his spine, body pushing closer and closer to the anchor Eren has become. And when Levi finally gets the courage to kiss Eren back, it’s feels like fucking magic. The smell, the taste of salt filling his senses, Levi can’t get enough, wanting to just be completely _ravaged_ and undone by this beautiful creature.

Then they are sinking, being tugged beneath the waves as Eren moves his hands to cup Levi’s face. And he should be scared, terrified, but he’s not. If anything, he feels safe, safer than he ever did in that beat-up beach house. In Eren’s arms where Levi thinks he’s always truly belonged.

He could be dying, but it would be a glorious death.

However, Eren obviously has no plans to let Levi drown inside the curl of the sea, mouth sending lifelines through Levi’s lungs as the merman pushes air past his lips. And Levi can only think that this must be what it feels like to truly love. To be completely one with your other half. As they float in a pitch of blue, Levi realizes that he would give up everything to just be with Eren. And that is probably the scariest thing. But somehow, as he drifts in Eren’s arms, Levi isn’t afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://fuzzyporcupine.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

When Levi next meets Eren, he’s still twenty-three.

He feels a lot older, though, and wonders if this is how mothers would feel worrying after their sons gone to war. Of course, Eren seemed sure of himself the last time Levi had seen him. Seemed sure of what they had.

It wasn’t but shortly after Levi confessed that the calling began. Eren had warned Levi that any day it would happen, and Levi figured the time arrived when Eren hadn’t met him at the rocks that morning. He tries to waste away the time by dusting the beach house, fixing up some loose sink pipes. Levi knows it’s meaningless to rebirth the place, but he does want it somewhat livable while he is staying there.

The city still hasn’t given him a definite date of when the structure will be demolished, but they’ve promised to give him a sum of money for the loss. Levi hopes it will be enough for him to find somewhere close to here. Well, close to Eren.

He doesn’t exactly know how this whole mating thing is even supposed to work. Levi’s not knowledgeable about the merfolk, even though Eren had slowly been revealing more and more of his pod’s lifestyle in their time together. However, Levi can only figure that the whole thing is a lot like being married. But he loves Eren, doesn’t he? So, Levi supposes settling down won’t be too bad.

The scale Eren gave him rests cozy in the pocket of his shorts. It’s too valuable to slide in with the rest of his memorabilia. Sometimes at night, Levi will pull it out to study under the yellow glow of the candle. If he watches closely, there are instances when Levi is sure he can see a change in color. It’s times like that when he wishes he understood Eren better.

Now, he’s sitting on the edge of a flat rock, feet lazily dragging along the water. It’s become routine for him to visit the shore at least once a day to check and see if Eren has returned. The merman hadn’t told him how long the calling lasted, and Levi vaguely thinks Eren did so on purpose. He thinks Eren was scared of what was to come, but maybe he was, too.

More hermit crabs skitter around his legs, tickling his skin each time one of the crustaceans touch his skin. He distinctly remembers asking Eren what merfolk diet consisted of, and the bastard had simply grabbed a small hermit crab and crunched it between his teeth. Levi only silently walked away when Eren offered him a bite. He’s never been much of a seafood person, anyway.

His eyes are closed as he listens to the breeze catch along the waves, the seagulls chirping merrily above him. Levi never thought this place would turn out to be such a haven for him. But then there is something heavy and wet falling into his lap. Something that feels oddly warm as it nuzzles against his navel.

He doesn’t open his eyes, even as he feels that slick tongue trailing along the contours of his chest. Doesn’t open them even when claws begin to dig red marks into the pale skin along his back. Doesn’t even open them when that wonderful, swooning voice starts to whisper in his ear.

“The ancient ones told me of a story while I was away.” Shivers travel across his flesh as the hot breaths fall across his skin. “They said, long ago there was a merman who lived a life of freedom. Spurning his elders’ fears and forcing them to believe that his freedom, his freedom was worth more than life itself. The elders worried for the merman, for they said he would never be truly happy living this life. But then one day, the merman met a human.” Levi gasps as something wet skims around the outside of his ear. “And this human was the exact opposite of the merman in every way. But most importantly, he wasn’t free.”

Strong arms begin to circle around his waist, pulling him down to lay back against the surface of the rock. “The merman felt so badly for this human that he spent every day at his side. Until the human left.” A hand begins to trace the curve of his neck, only stopping when a single, clawed thumb is softly running along the bottom of his lip. “Then the merman realized that he wasn’t free. That when the human left, he took a part of the merman with him. That he had grown to _love_ that human.”

Levi finally opens his eyes.

“What happened next?” The words are a whisper against Eren’s thumb, the merman caging Levi’s body with his frame.

“I could show you,” Eren murmurs across his skin, and Levi just _prays_ that all of this is leading up to what he is thinking. “I want to show you, Levi.” That tongue is at his neck, leaving behind a trail of chills in its wake. And Levi can’t even voice what he _really_ wants to say. How badly he’s wanted to just love and be loved by Eren.

So he just whispers, “Yes.”

A beat passes before Eren descends down upon Levi, hands everywhere, lighting a path of pleasure in their touch. Heated flames, traveling deep within his blood. Sparking when Eren kisses him, hard and wet. Then he’s opening up to the merman, letting that tongue prod inside his mouth. And Levi can taste him, slightly salty, but so warm as Eren’s form begins to maneuver between Levi’s legs. He faintly wonders if Eren can feel how hard he is, if he knows what it means. The merman on the other hand, has flushed a brilliant red, almost completely overpowering the green in his tail.

And Levi wishes he could stay like this forever, beneath Eren, hearing the waves break against the merman’s back. Wants to be taken right here, the only place he’s ever felt truly free. Doesn’t care who sees him breaking, just wants – _needs_ it.

But then Eren is dipping down, tongue fucking worshiping Levi’s chest. He’s never felt beautiful, but _god_ if Eren doesn’t make Levi feel like he’s just something so precious. So stunning. And it makes his spine twist with want, linking his ankles around the small of Eren’s back.

“Eren,” he mumbles, hands finding their way into the thick head of brunet hair. A flash of green glances up at him, and Levi doesn’t think Eren even _knows_ how absolutely filthy he looks suckling on Levi’s chest. It drawls a broken groan from his throat as Eren concentrates his attentions over a hardened nub. Knowing better than to throw his head back against the solid stone beneath him, Levi just tightens his fist in Eren’s hair, teeth gritting as the merman teases him.

“Mate,” it’s the only thing Eren says as he lifts away from Levi’s reddened skin, and _god_ Levi just already feels so wrecked that he just nods his head. _Yes, mate, I’m your mate._

Hands are tugging at his swim trunks, and before the merman decides to rip them from Levi’s body – because Levi honestly doesn’t think Eren would be above that action – he is yanking them down and pulling them away from his skin. Laying naked and completely exposed, Levi doesn’t think he’s ever felt more alive.

He expects Eren to do something like touch him, maybe even send him over the edge. But he remembers when he sees Eren looking curiously at his stiff arousal that maybe mermen cocks don’t react the same way to attraction. Oh god, he feels like a pervert even thinking of the term ‘mermen cocks’.

“You can touch it, you know,” he says, causing Eren to glance back upwards at him. Maybe the merman is scared he’ll hurt Levi, maybe he’s just scared in general. But Levi _loves_ Eren. And he wants Eren to know his body inside and out. Reaching out to take a hold of the merman’s hand, he guides it to wrap around his cock. Leading Eren’s motions as he directs their hands up and down. And _god_ it feels good. Levi doesn’t know if it’s because he is just so unbelievably turned on, but every slide has his toes curling, mouth slightly hanging open. So _wrecked_.

Then he’s letting go, directing his fingers down to his hole; because while he would love to be prepared by Eren, those claws probably won’t feel very pleasant going into his ass.

“Can I taste you?” Levi really doesn’t know what Eren’s meaning when he asks, but gets the idea pretty quickly when he sees the merman staring at the bead of precum glistening on the tip of his cock.

“Yes, _god_ yes.” The first touch has him jerking, Eren’s tongue dipping perfectly into his slit. Levi doesn’t think it’s really fair for him to fall apart so easily. Then Eren’s lips are kissing the head, dragging a wet heat around his cock that has his stomach flipping. Levi almost feels like this is just turning into a one-sided deal, but then he feels something thick and hard against the inside of his thigh.

Protruding out from what looks to be an almost seamless slit at the front of Eren’s tail, it’s similar to his own cock, only that tip really doesn’t look like a tip but a fleshy hook. And it’s wet, god it’s practically dripping in some clear substance that Levi can only assume is the merfolk equivalent of lube. Feeling brave, Levi reaches out to take a hold of the length. And the _sound_ that comes out of Eren’s mouth is just downright pornographic.

“That feels good?” Levi asks, stroking Eren’s length in his hand. The only answer he gets is a frenzied nod of the head, Eren’s mouth quickly going back to sucking what his grip can’t cover of Levi’s cock. “S-shit,” he moans, eyes fluttering shut.

“You look beautiful when you do that,” Eren tells him, breath hot and heavy over the sensitive skin. “So beautiful.” And Levi kind of feels like he’s dying, except there is a light at the end of his tunnel filled with Eren’s smile and too big eyes. “I want to bond you, Levi. _Please._ ”

When he glances down, Eren is staring at him, looking absolutely _desperate._ Levi doesn’t know what the bond will do, what it even means, but hell, if Eren wants him badly enough for it then yes. A million times yes.

“Do it,” he whispers, fingers tracing over Eren’s kiss-swollen lips. Then that wet heat is dragging across his hole, thighs practically dripping from the slickness Eren is producing. Other hand reaching down between them, Levi quickly finds his entrance, covered in the substance from Eren’s length. Not thinking twice, he dips a finger inside himself, a quiet gasp leaving his lips once his knuckle is fully buried. And it’s like this liquid is electrifying his nerves, causing his senses to absolutely explode as he plunges the finger in and out of his body.

Soon, he’s added two more, and just when he thinks he can’t take it anymore, Eren is leaning down between his thighs to lick up the slickness around his rim.

“Fuck!” He clenches on instinct, not used to the foreign sensation. But then Eren is prying his legs further apart, tongue trying to push in alongside his fingers. And Levi wants to tell him that it’s filthy, that it is absolutely disgusting. But nothing could make him stop the feeling bubbling up inside of his chest every time he hears the slurp of tongue on skin. The raw, explicit need just bursting from his body. “Bond me, Eren.” Because there is nothing else he feels like he should say. Nothing else that matters at this point.

Careful hands are pulling his fingers away from his hole, a chaste kiss being pressed to each of his palms. And he just loves Eren so goddamn much.

“I love you,” Eren whispers as his length aligns with Levi’s entrance. “I love you so much.”

Levi tries to relax as much as he can as Eren presses inside of him, all heat and slick. Mouth dropping into a silent scream as his head falls backwards. He’s almost expecting to slam the back of his skull onto the face of the rock, but instead of pain, he is comforted with the warmness of Eren’s palms cradling his fall. And god, does he feel like he’s falling. Everything just being lifted away from him as his body drifts into the state of total awareness. Every move, every slide against his skin is felt with an increased sensitivity. Levi thinks this, this _must_ be the bond. But he’s wrong.

Knows exactly what the bond is the moment Eren’s teeth sink into the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

And he screams.

Not in pain, but ecstasy. Like his veins have been alight, and Eren is the one holding the match. Striking it down his body until Levi swears he is going to burst from his own skin. Panting, Levi hasn’t even realized Eren’s fully seated inside of him until the merman moves.

“E-Eren,” Levi can hardly believe he can get out a single breath, no less a single word. But then the merman looks at him, really looks at him, and Levi breaks, nails digging into Eren’s back as he arches upward. “Don’t let me go,” he’s babbling he _has_ to be babbling, but Eren is still right above him, telling him how beautiful he is, how much he loves him. That he won’t let Levi go. And Levi trusts him, wraps those legs tighter around Eren as the merman pounds into the deepest parts of him.

“Levi, Levi…” He can hear Eren breathing the words into his ear, sounding winded and out of stamina. But they just keep going, the pace never slowing down as that familiar heat begins to curl inside Levi’s gut.

“Please,” Levi whines, body trembling beneath Eren as he cries. “ _Please._ ” He doesn’t even know what he’s asking for anymore, just wants Eren close. Want to hold him forever, never let the merman fall from his arms. Droplets begin to fall down onto his face, and he realizes Eren is crying, as well. Tears rolling down his cheeks as he cradles Levi in his arms.

“I love you.” Breathless, Levi nods his head, the heat starting to grow stronger and stronger. Wants to tell Eren to not stop, to never stop. _Please don’t let me go._ But there’s nothing but broken breaths falling from his lips, sweat coating his body as he feels the heat start to explode inside of him. And somehow, Levi is able to scream a wrecked version of Eren’s name as white completely eclipses his vision. Body shaking with the bold waves of the aftershock, Levi doesn’t even have the strength to open his eyes. That is until he feels Eren quake inside of him, vision blessing him with the image of Eren wholly losing himself.

It’s one of the most beautiful things Levi’s ever witnessed.

He’s left gaping as Eren immediately pulls out, shivering at the loss. Levi can faintly feel white running down his legs, dripping off into the sea. Entire being exhausted, Levi finally collapses backwards onto the rock face. He’s expecting Eren to join him, maybe kiss away the rest of their troubles in the world. But instead of falling back into a life of pleasure, Levi is startled by Eren’s sudden scream.

Loud and violent, it sends a black shiver down Levi’s spine. Throwing himself to the ledge of the rock, Levi sees Eren, the merman cringing as he holds onto the surface.

“Eren!” Extending a hand, Levi tries to pull Eren from the water, but he won’t be budged. Fingers digging into the stone, Levi watches in awe as the gills decorating Eren’s neck begin to fade into the tanned flesh. Ears once pointed, now rounding out. The sea foam bubbles around Eren, forcing Levi back from the water’s edge.

Eyes widen as he watches the transformation. Like something out of a circus show, Eren slowly becomes… _human._ The screams slowly fade until the only sound Levi can hear is the roaring of the sea erupting around Eren’s new form. And Levi’s terrified. What did he do? But then it’s silent. Nothing. Not even the waves make a sound. And Eren is gone.

“Eren,” his voice breaks as Levi says the name, hoping, _praying_ that his own desire didn’t just kill the one he loved the most. “Er-en.” Silence. Tears are probably running down his face, but Levi just feels numb. Like all of th–

“Are you having an emotion?”

Looking to his left, Levi is shaking when he see the bastard’s smiling face. And he wants to punch the mer – wait, not a merman… yes, holy shit those are legs – _man_ square in the face, but a kiss sounds much better.

So, that’s what he does, throws his arms around Eren’s neck as he drags the _man_ down for the best kiss of his life. “I thought you were dead, asshole,” he murmurs against Eren’s lips.

“Hey, at least I _have_ an asshole now.” Levi can’t help but laugh, pulling Eren into another kiss.

He never thought this place would bring him to where he is now. Laughing alongside the shore with a merman-turned lover-turned actual man holding on to his waist. It’s fairytale material if he’s ever heard of one, well besides the whole sex part. Levi guesses he will exclude that from his potential children’s book. And as he looks up into those too big eyes, Levi knows that they will find their happy ending together somewhere beyond the sea.

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://fuzzyporcupine.tumblr.com)


End file.
